Thanks for letting us know XJ!! Sorry to lose you on this one. We'll catch you next time. We'll see everybody else bright and early tomorrow! PM me if any new developments come up

 

As of now I am a "Maybe" for tomorrow. Don't wait for me if I'm not there on time. Would love to see you all, but just can't guarantee I'll make it that early. I'm just not old enough for those early starts yet.

 

Which is another way of saying you're not headed to bed at 10:30 like I am...

On a topic of random news, my very determined wife searched high and low and found my radios for me! The "Oh well, I guess I lost them" attitude I had adopted did not sit well with her.

 

Not the best excuse I've heard, but we would all like to see you and your sweetheart on a casual scenic drive... Oh, and I suspect you'll bring your Porsche along too.. Even better...

Here, if it helps: I'm up at 5:15 just to get there, so.... If it makes you more comfortable, you get to sleep in an extra two hours! Thats gotta be more than enough time for you youngsters!

Try to make if you can!
V

Oh: SUNSCREAN Everyone! Its gonna be nice up there!

 

Have to say, you all missed an amazing day, and I am so sorry you did.



With our crew reduced to 3 cars, we took liberty to alter some of the itinerary on the fly, without making it anything but a scenic event on a beautiful summer day.

Kudos to Muddydog for getting this going, and Swimref for grabbing his sweet lady K and bringing fun facts, history and company to the drive!

Thanks to Muddys extensive planning and words of advice for all attendees, we all showed up ready to go, except of course that one person that failed to heed his advice and forgot to gas up (Muddy). Oh and that other person that forgot it was a picnic lunch on a mountain top, and came without food (….Muddy again)!
(Sigh… these young kids today… what are we to do with them?)

Our first stop (errr, second after the filling station) was the Oso land slid area. Humbling to see first hand, and we took time to acknowledge those that passed in the disaster.




From there we headed into the Park.


Then on to Newhalem and the Gorge powerhouse.


A brief walk up to see Ladder creek falls, I spin to see my compadres had eluded me. Obviously attempting to leave me behind by hiding behind trees or blending in via camouflage.
Ha! Ya gotta get up early to out-fox ol’ Vince though!


Lunch was, of course above Diablo Lake, where shade, a comfortable wind, and stunning view made a highlight to the trip.

Westbound out of the park we had to visit Gorge Creek Falls, and the small Company town of Diablo



Quite the day, and one I will not soon forget! Muddy, Swimref (And K.), thanks again!

For those interested in these kind of drives, just let Muddy know, I can speak for all of us, that any Jag and any Jag lover is welcome on our drives. So keep it in mind when Muddydog starts talking our annual Leavenworth drive (Which is approaching quickly BTW) or anything in between should it arrise.
(I'm giving serious thought to visiting Long Beach Saturday the 21st, as the Washington State International Kite Festival will be in full swing...) Anyhow, I digress....

Lets see a few more shots from others!

Vince

 

THAT. WAS. PHENOMENAL!

I think that was one of my favorite drives ever. We toned down the speed a lot and really just enjoyed the fabulous day. Homemade ice cream, organic blueberries, Starbucks coffee, sunshine, long stretches of curvy roads, good company… It's one for the record books.

But as for totally ignoring my direction about preparing ahead of time, come on guys, get it together! Gas up before you come and bring a lunch. That's all you had to remember. To make matters worse, the same guy forgot to do both. Maybe he was preoccupied with organizing everything else? We'll never know. We shouldn't invite him back.

Oh, wait, it was me! It was me. I'm so ashamed. You guys took good care of me. Thanks for the chicken, Swimref!

To start with Clever was loaded on the ferry behind a policeman to send him a cosmic hint, which I thought was pretty funny. The smaller group worked out well as we could dart in and out of parking lots and pull-offs without a lot of trouble, giving us a little more flexibility. The living memorial at the Oso landslide was poignant. We hiked to a waterfall, took some picks at the park entrance and checked out the visitor's center.

But nothing could have prepared me for Diablo lake! Wow, that was amazing. And the gorge on the other side of the dam--also fabulous. The pictures don't do it justice, I'm afraid.

On the way back we stopped at a little organic farm for ice cream, and Swim broke off in Everett while Clever and I caught the ferry back to Kingston and points beyond. Here's to you guys for a great and memorable drive!

 

Nice! Next time I'll tell my friends not to get married when there are drives to be done!

 

Karen and I had a really great time and we agreed it was one of the best drives ever! I think it was the relaxed atmosphere. We had no schedule or timetable and never once worried about time. The weather was about perfect, the traffic surprisingly light, the company friendly, and the scenery magnificent. Thank you so much to Muddy and Clever for putting this together. We got home to Everett before 5:30, which was just perfect for me with my fatigue problem. I crashed and "vegged out" the rest of the evening and slept most of Sunday, so I'm really glad the day was no longer, but I am SO glad we went. Thanks to Clever also for treating us to some great ice cream. Sorry to tell everyone else, but you missed one of the best gatherings ever.

 

I forgot to mention this was my first chance to see Clever's new ride. While all XK coupes are so beautiful, seeing that washed and waxed Claret Red chariot in the sunshine was breathtaking. Thanks also for the doughnuts to start the day. And let me say again that it has been too long (since Leavenworth last year, I think) since I saw you guys, and it was really a good time. Can't wait to see Growler, Danny, Ken, Rahtok, Marko, and the other "regulars" in the near future I hope.

 

Pesky friends!

 

These pictures and posts are awesome! Man, I'm so sorry I couldn't make it. I can totally see why you all are saying it was one of the best drives ever. I think I need my head examined for choosing to go to work over spending a day with my Jag buddies. Oh well...

I'm already super excited about the Leavenworth drive and I hope everything will work out for that.

Hope to see everyone then! :-)